Improvement in car-couplings



J. S. IN G RAM.

mprovement in Car-Cquplings.

Patented Nov. 5,1872.

{Zwemiwf I m M 5 AM. PHOTOi/THUGHAPH/C C0. NXKDSHORNES PFGCES UNITED STATES LATENT JAMES S. INGRAM, OF LOUISVILLE, KY., ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS OF HIS RIGHT TO THOMAS C. COLEMAN AND THOMAS LEE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 32,835, dated November 5, 1872.

' against accidental displacement, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

To enable those skilled in the art to make.

and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same, referring by letters to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a top view of a draw-head embracing my invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken at the line or w of Fig. 1.

Similar letters indicate like parts in both figures.

A is an ordinary draw-head, provided with a longitudinal slot, B, through which the coupling-trigger O is swung by trunnions hung in vertical slots at. D are cheek-pieces mounted on top of the draw-head, (cast therewith,) in which are continuations of the grooves a rollin g over backward, forming the circular bearings b for supporting the trunnions of the trigger 0 when it is elevated and not in use. E is a staple running obliquely through the cheekpieces from the rear, so that when in the position shown in Figs. land 2 it serves as a lock or bolt to prevent the upward movement of the trunnions, thus lockin g the trigger in position to be automatically operated, and hold it thus against accidental displacement. When it is desirable that the cars should not be coupled automatically the trigger O is elevated and the trun-nions thereof dropped into the bearings b in the cheek-pieces D, as seen in dotted lines at Fig. 2. F is the ordinary link, which, penetrating the opening in the drawhead, strikes the trigger O, which is so weighted and shaped as to close the link openingwhen at a state of rest, and forces it back, swinging it upon its trnnnions, until the link has passed sufliciently far in to allow the said trigger to again assume a vertical position, which securely locks said link, as the front lower end of the trigger rests against a shoulder in the mouth of the draw-head, as shown.

It will-be seen that by my invention the coupler may be rendered operative or inoperative, as may be desired.

I am aware of Letters Patent No. 63,277,

granted March 26, 1867, and do not, therefore,

wish to be understood as claiming per se anything shown therein; but

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with a draw-head and gravity-trigger, constructed as described, of the slotted cheekpieces and locking-staple, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JAS. S. INGRAM.

\Vitnesses:

I. A. Moons, J. M. CARROLL, E. R. COLEMAN. 

